Buyer Beware!

I bought this book after beginning the home buying process and have realized a few mistakes I have already made, according to the author. This book's greatest help and heaviest emphasis is on choosing a good, qualified agent which is the info I was searching for, in an easy-to-read format. I recommend this book as a place to start for first-time home buyers.

This is a book written by someone who HAS "been there and done that." Carla's experience is based upon years in the trenches actually doing deals and thus it is much more useful than a book written by someone who has only talked with agents. I think that she comes closer to what real people experience in the homebuying process and thus her advice and counsel is much more useful both to first-time homebuyers as well as more experienced homeowners. I strongly recommend this very practical book as an ideal companion to my best-selling book on mortgages HOW TO SAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON YOUR HOME MORTGAGE. So armed, you will be much better prepared carve out the best deal on the right home.

This book is easy to read. It covers every angle of concern for first time buyers without getting bogged down into details. This is a great book for people thinking about buying but are overwhelmed buy horror stories of the experience. Ms. Cross includes lists of questions to ask when interviewing agents, things to ask when looking at a house, and ways to determine what are your priorities and desires in a new home (i.e. safety, many kids, no kids, large lawns, established home, new home etc...) so that your buying experience can be almost painless. I have reccommened the book to several friends and they have thanked me for the concise yet complete information.

This is a must buy for anyone planning to buy a house. The book is written in a way that makes it a very fast read, yet it is loaded with in-depth information. It helps you select an agent, select a home, and tells you how to best estimate the value of the home. It's packed with all those things your (average or below) agent never told you. I really felt like I was learning all the pertinent information I needed to make an informed home-buying decision.